 |
| (Sydney Morning Herald 2013) |
The proliferation of the Internet and new
media through the processes of globalisation has prompted many changes in
society, including changes the way in which citizens engage with national and
international politics. Microblogs such as those of Twitter and Facebook have
begun to play greater role in the dissemination of political messages during election
campaigns (Chang 2010), as well as providing a means for citizens to partake
in political discussions or even political activism. Larsson and Moe discussed
the greater role of social media in political campaigns in the context of the
Swedish elections (2012, p. 741), however the federal
elections in Australia were also indicative of the shift in the way in
which politicians attempt to engage voters (Sydney Morning Herald 2013). Likewise,
social media platforms bore the brunt of the community response to the election
result, with many disgruntled citizens using microblogging sites to vent their
frustration at the outcome. Thus, social media platforms have facilitated the ‘broadening
of participation in public debate’ (Larsson & Moe 2012, p. 730), by
enabling a wider range of people to engage and have their say on political
matters.
 |
| (NATO Review Magazine) |
The
use of microblogging sites by ‘technoactivists’ to influence the political
activity of a state is also a growing area, and one of significance to national
and international politics. Perhaps the most substantial example of this has
been the ‘Arab Spring’, in which a series of revolutions occurred across North
Africa and the Middle East, beginning in Tunisia in late 2010. During the
revolutions, social media platforms played an important role in the coordination
of protests, so much so that the governments frequently shut down key
communications systems to attempt to quell the uprisings (Lindsey 2013). The
use of social media in this context displayed the sense of disenfranchisement
with the traditional mainstream media, which can be controlled by governments,
as well as the political power that connectivity brings. This connectivity is
particularly important, especially considering the current issues in Syria,
because the Internet has created greater levels of transparency. No longer can
a state prevent the rest of the world from observing the real damage caused by
its civil war simply by barring journalists from entering the country. Thus,
political microblogging has led to significant changes in the way in which
citizens engage in politics and the level of political power that they
wield.
Reference List:
Chang, V 2010, Obama and the power of social media and technology, The European
Business Review, retrieved 12 September 2013, <http://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/aaker/pages/documents/TEBRMay-June-Obama.pdf>.
Larsson, AO, and Moe, H 2012, ‘Studying
political microblogging: Twitter users in the 2010 Swedish election campaign’, New Media Society, vol. 14, no. 5, pp.
729-747.
Lindsey,
RA 2013, ‘What the Arab Spring Tells Us About the Future of Social Media in
Revolutionary Movements’, Small Wars
Journal, retrieved 12 September 2013, <http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/what-the-arab-spring-tells-us-about-the-future-of-social-media-in-revolutionary-movements>.
NATO
Review Magazine, ‘Pictures of the Revolution’, retrieved 12 September 2013,
<http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2012/Arab-Spring/AR-PHOTOS/EN/index.htm>.
Sydney
Morning Herald 2013, ‘Social Media Stakes’, retrieved 12 September 2013, <
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/social-media>.
